Learned From The Best
by suallenparker
Summary: After a few busy weeks Stella forces Mac to take a break.


**Learned From The Best**

Disclaimer: The characters belong to CBS and the story belongs to lily moonlight. Happy birthday, my Dear!

Spoiler: Around Season Four. Oh, the good old times!

Raiting: T

Summary: After a few busy weeks Stella forces Mac to take a break.

Feedback: Always appreciated.

Thanks to Stella, he relaxed. For the first time in three weeks, he actually relaxed. They were sitting in his favorite Diner. The sun was shining on their table trough the window and while Stella ordered two chocolate-chip-cookies for dessert, he allowed himself to forget about work for a few minutes.

Leaning back in his chair he watched his partner. A smile illuminated her face as the waitress brought their desserts. Just for that, he was grateful to have Stella as his coworker. She had such a beautiful smile, such an obvious reminder that there was indeed good in the world.

Sometimes he almost forgot that.

New York skipped the spring and went straight for summer. It was way too hot for May and everybody and their neighbor went nuts because of that. Murder-rate was up and so was Mac's work load. He drowned in paperwork. His days seemed to blend into each other. Today might be Tuesday, but he wasn't really sure.

"What date do we have, Stella?" he asked after the waitress was gone.

Her eyes closed slowly as she took the first bite of her cookie. She chewed five times and swallowed. "May, the 17th," she said, opening her eyes again.

Mac's widened. "Already?" That couldn't be true.

"Yes." With her second bite, her eyes stayed open and focused on his face.

Oh damn. That meant he had a meeting in – Mac looked at his watch – in fifteen minutes. Damn. "I have to go, Stella, I'm sorry." He stood up and reached for his wallet in the back pocket of his pants. The least he could do when he had to ditch her, was to pay for lunch.

"Important date?"

"Yes, I'm sorry." He waved at the waitress. "I'm supposed to meet an informant in fifteen minutes at the Central Park."

Smiling, Stella shook her head. "Sit down, Mac. Relax."

He glanced at her then looked at the waitress who was carrying two plates with burgers to a table on the other side of the room. "I can't, I'm sorry."

"Oh yes, you can," she said.

Now she had his full attention. "Why?"

"Because I don't want to part from you just to rush to the Central Park and meet with you there. So sit." Stella gestured at his chair.

The heat seemed to be getting to her. "What?"

"I was so right about that." Thoughtfully she took another bite of her cookie.

That must've been the sugar talking. "What?"

"You really need a break."

"I don't understand." He really didn't.

"Proving my point." The look she gave him could only be described as pitiful. She gestured at his chair again. "Eat your cookie, I'll explain."

He couldn't stand the expression on her face. Even though he was her boss, there was no question that she was superior to him. Moments like this made that clear. "I really have to go, Stella."

"I'm the informant you're supposed to meet, Mac."

"You…?" Staring at her, he sank down on his chair.

She smirked. "Exactly."

"That's not funny."

"You're right." She put on a stern face. "It's sad. Normally you catch up on my tricks much faster. You need a break, Mac. You're overworked and stressed and you miss things, you normally wouldn't. Like me tricking you into a time out. Take a break and then you'll be as good as new."

For a moment he considered getting angry at her for mocking him but she kind of had a point. Usually he _did_ catch up on her tricks much faster.

'_Luna D'Angelo'_ that promised him valid information on a problem inside his police force. He should've known as soon as he heard the name. "Maybe you're right."

"Of course I am," Stella said matter of factly. "Now eat up, then I'll take you for a walk in the park."

"You're so bossy."

"If you behave, I'll buy you some ice cream."

Mac took his cookie from his plate. "We are eating dessert right now."

"So?" Grinning she bit in her cookie.

"Unbelievable."

Twenty minutes later they walked next to each other beneath the trees of the Central Park. The sun was shining brightly, the birds were singing and even though it was a work day, the park was full of people enjoying the return of the summer to New York.

Mac took a deep breath. This was nice. "If you ever trick me like that again, I'll fire you."

"No, you won't." Again, that face-expression he hated.

"True." He sighed. He would never fire her. He'd miss her too much. But damn her for knowing that. "But couldn't you just talk to me about that?"

"Yes, I could have." Stella nodded. "I did, actually. Remember two weeks ago?"

Oh damn. "Yes."

"What did you say to me?"

"That I was fine." He didn't like where this conversation was going.

"And?"

"And then I sent you back to work." And now he felt foolish.

"Because you're so damn stubborn."

He really couldn't stand that face she was making. "Maybe you're right."

"Of course I am. Now stop pouting and enjoy your little bit of free time."

But he loved to see her smile, even when it was such a smug smile like now. "Okay."

"Good boy."

"So bossy!"

Stella nodded again. "Learned from the best. Ice-cream?"

He loved how soft her voice sounded. Like sundae. "Yes, please, Ma'am."

Ten minutes later Mac held a scone with two scoops of chocolate ice-cream in his right hands. They were sitting on a bench beneath a big tree and with a view on a little lake in front of them. It was beautiful.

"You're so good to your minions," he said, smiling at Stella.

"Learned that from the best as well." Her eyes twinkled as she licked on her strawberry-ice.

"You're talking about me, right?"

"Buy a guy some ice cream and he gets cocky."

"But you were, right?"

"Yes."

Just what he wanted to hear. Smiling brightly Mac licked on his ice cream, and relaxed.

THE END


End file.
